It is an incredibly exciting time to be a basketball fan, regardless of which team’s colors you have nailed to your mast. While Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks supporters have everything crossed that their beloved teams will progress through the 2025 NBA Playoffs Conference finals, the rest of the basketball fraternity is gearing up for the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft.
The 2025 NBA Draft will take place between June 25 and 26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Fifty-nine of college basketball’s hottest prospects will make the leap to the professional ranks, with some hoping to become the face of the NBA for years to come.
Mavericks Overcome the Odds to Win the NBA Draft Lottery
Last week, the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA Draft lottery despite only having a 1.8% chance of doing so. That unlikely lottery win gifted the Mavericks the first overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, giving them the first choice from a crop of supremely talented youngsters. Of course, it’s the worst-kept secret in basketball that Cooper Flagg will be selected first; the Mavericks have a potential Hall of Famer on their hands if they go down the Flagg route.
The Mavericks struggled for consistency during the first half of the 2024-25 NBA regular season; they looked a shadow of the team that reached the NBA Finals the previous season. The boys from Detroit headed into March with a 32-28 record, but a late-season collapse saw them win only seven of their last 22 games, finishing with a 39-43 record. Although it was a disappointing end to the regular season campaign, it ultimately resulted in the number-one draft pick heading to the American Airlines Center.
Mavs Set to Select Cooper Flagg With the First Pick
Mavericks fans are still reeling from Luca Doncic‘s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, but getting their hands on one of basketball’s hottest prospects in recent memory will help numb the pain. Flagg is a generational talent who, if he reproduces his college form, could become the face of the NBA for the next decade.
The Mavericks were already tipped to contend for the NBA Playoffs next season. One would think they are all but nailed on to be in the mix at the business end of the 2025-26 season once Flagg becomes a Mavericks player.
Flagg was one of the most-hyped freshmen to enter the college game. The Newport, Maine native enjoyed a spectacular season with Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Understandably, Flagg won almost every major Player of the Year award, including the coveted National College Player of the Year title. Flagg is only the fourth freshman to win that award, ranking him alongside Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and Zion Williamson. That is not bad company to keep.
High-rated college players sometimes fail to step up to the professional ranks. However, Flagg is a generational talent who will likely become an NBA All-Star and one day become one of basketball’s all-time greats.
Will the San Antonio Spurs Select Dylan Harper At No. 2?
Though Flagg’s is the name on everyone’s lips right now, you should pay close attention to what the San Antonio Spurs do with their number-two pick. The Spurs haven’t reached the NBA Playoffs since losing 3-4 to the Denver Nuggets in the first round in 2018-19. However, they have one of the strongest long-term positions in the NBA and are likely to use their pick based on talent, not on whether the player fits into their system.
Rutgers’ Dylan Harper is the consensus option once Flagg inevitably goes with the first pick. Harper averaged 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game in 29 appearances for Rutgers. And let’s not forget that the NBA is in Harper’s blood. His father, Ron, played over 1,000 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers, capturing five NBA titles before retiring in 2001.
There has been much speculation about whether the Spurs will trade this pick, but having jumped six spots to No. 2, they will almost certainly take Harper. Victor Webanyama and Stephon Castle won back-to-back Rookie of the Year awards for the Spurs. Can Harper complete a hat-trick of such titles for the Texan franchise?
Bailey or Edgecombe: Who Will Be Selected Third
With the consensus being that Flagg and Harper will be the first two players off the board, the 2025 NBA Draft becomes very interesting at numbers three and four. The Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets have those picks, and basketball pundits are left wondering whether the 76ers will take Airious “Ace” Bailey or VJ Edgecombe at number three.
Bailey is considered the third-most talented prospect in this year’s draft, so it makes sense for the 76ers to snap him up. The versatile player could fit into the 76ers’ lineup across several positions. In his one season with Rutgers, Bailey averaged 17.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steals over 30 games.
VJ Edgecombe is a rising star from the Bahamas who is almost guaranteed to be selected third or fourth. Through 33 games for the Baylor Bears, Edgecombe averaged 15.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.0 steals. Edgecombe is highly athletic and has significant defensive potential. With the proper coaching, Edgecombe should develop into a top-tier player.
Exciting Times Lie Ahead
Basketball fans worldwide do not have long to wait until the thrill of the NBA Draft is upon them. In a month’s time, 59 college players will step up to the NBA and realize their dreams of becoming professional basketball players. That also means that in a few months, they get to see if the hype surrounding Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper is justified!
However, before then, there’s the not-so-little matter of settling the 2025 NBA Playoffs and the NBA Finals. A new NBA champion will be crowned in time for the draft. Will any of the four youngsters featured in this article be in the mix this time next season?